N$60m Aus rail tender re-awarded

Profile-Vae, the company that was initially denied the N$60m Aus-!Nami#Nus (formerly Lüderitz) railway line upgrading tender, has been successfully re-awarded the deal.
Although the notifications of the successful candidates will only be sent out today, The Villager has gathered that last Thursday, the Tender Board found no irregularities in the tender, which was recalled last December by Permanent Secretary of Works and Transport, Peter Mwatile.
Then, Mwatile had objected it, saying, Profile Investments was in conflict of interest. “The consultant of the tender, K&A Partnership Consulting Engineers, represented by M [Michael] Rumsey whose firm is also the principal agent of D&M Rail Construction, is regarded as biased or in conflict of interest,” said Mwatile in his letter to the Tender Board last December.
However, approximately two weeks ago, the Ministry of Works and Transport wrapped up the confirmation process of whether or not all the applicants had submitted all the right documents before the successful candidates were selected.
On Friday, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Finance, Ericah Shafudah, who is also the chairperson of the Tender Board confirmed the tender has been awarded, albeit stopping short of revealing the successful candidates.
“The tender has been awarded but the beneficiaries are yet to be informed as notifications will only be made on Monday (today),” said Shafudah, The Villager confirmed the name of the beneficiary.
In April this year, Profile Investments, which had formed a joint venture - Profile-Vae - with the South African company Voestalpine-Vae SA, approached the High Court in Windhoek to take a legal action against Shafudah and Works and Transport minister, Erkki Nghimtina.
Profile Investments alleged that an official in the Ministry of Works had leaked confidential information to its competitor after Mwatile’s claim that the consultant appointed for the project was also the principal agent for D&M, which Profile-Vae SA had subcontracted to do some of the work.
Vaino Nghipondoka from Profile Investments yesterday, on the latest developments, said he had only heard it through the grapevine that he had been re-awarded, since he is out of town.
“I cannot confirm the news until I have the necessary documents stating I have been awarded the tender, which is likely to be tomorrow,” said Nghipondoka.
Mwatile who is out of the country refused to comment saying he does not talk to The Villager, before switching off his cell phone.
inno@thevillager.com.na